Frequently Asked Questions

What is a world’s fair?

A world’s fair is a celebration of cultural diversity, technological innovation, and human accomplishment. It brings the world together in one location to illuminate a city and a nation’s transformation and achievement. Every world’s fair celebrates a theme that is socially relevant and prescient.

What is the Los Angeles World’s Fair™?

If previous world’s fairs have been huge parties, the LA World’s Fair™ will be the Project X of international expositions. While still promoting technology and culture, this world’s fair is all about connectivity. Los Angeles County stretches across 88 cities, and for the first time ever, all of them will come together via transit-­oriented structural innovation and unprecedented distribution of fairgrounds.

When is the Los Angeles World’s Fair™?

Previous world’s fairs have lasted from a few weeks to six months. This world’s fair will go above and beyond by lasting two years. At present, our intention is to launch the LA World’s Fair™ on New Year’s Day 2022.

Where exactly is it going to be?

The Los Angeles World’s Fair™ will take place across the Greater Los Angeles Area, emphasizing the idea of a connected city. Historically, world’s fairs have had one or two fairgrounds where pavilions are concentrated and most of the activity takes place. The LA World’s Fair™ will have multiple pods and pavilions dispersed throughout Los Angeles County along new transit infrastructure.

What do you do in a world’s fair?

A world’s fair allows you to catch a glimpse of the future. Whether it be riding hyperloop buses that take you from Downtown LA to Santa Monica in under three minutes, viewing models and plans for the high­speed rail line that will run from LA to San Francisco by 2029, or virtually meeting someone in Istanbul via hologram, the LA World’s Fair™ will display innovations in connectivity and transportation like never seen before. Have a taste of the cultural diversity our city prides itself on. Enjoy music, art, and performances in the entertainment capital of the world. Most of all, relish in the past achievements of this historic city while reveling in the bright future ahead.

How much does it cost to attend?

Our expectation is for pricing to be attractive to people of all walks of life and affordable for everyone in Los Angeles and for every visitor to our city. By contrast, Olympic games, music festivals, and major sporting events typically have limited tickets that cost upwards of $1,000 while certain VIP events may have premium ticket pricing. Our pricing schema is designed so that everyone can attend this fair. However, anyone who buys a Titanium Membership now gets 50% off entry passes and other exclusive deals. Much like the Olympic games, there will be single purchases and ticket prices, so we will emulate best practices when it comes to those smaller rates.

Is this connected to the BIE?

The Bureau of International Expositions is an intergovernmental regulatory organization, dating from 1928, that oversees world expos. The United States currently is not a member nation of the BIE. Multiple world’s fairs kicked off planning and media outreach without seeking BIE approval and later determined how they would receive an approval from the BIE. We are going to follow in the footsteps of the other greatest world’s fairs and will endeavor to assure that we secure their full support.

What is Pavilion Zero?

Pavilion Zero will be the Los Angeles World’s Fair™’s initial operational epicenter and informational locus. The pavilion will act as headquarters and event center for the Fair, providing a dedicated venue for meetings, conferences, presentations, and events throughout the development and implementation of the entire project. It will set the agenda for all participating pavilions spread throughout 88 cities, demonstrating cutting­edge infrastructure and communication technology, immersive and participatory media, community sensitivity and transportation connectivity, the promise of the fully developed LA World’s Fair™ to come.

What will be the economic impact on Los Angeles?

The LA World’s Fair™ will be the greatest peacetime stimulus in the history of the US. We expect this exposition to create hundreds of thousands of jobs and pump billions of dollars into the economy. We are preparing an economic study that will detail the momentous impact, and full quantification will come from economists after our crowdfunding campaign is underway. It will also create more investment in construction, development, engineering, and architecture than any other peacetime project in the US.

What will this mean for traffic and parking?

We know that any moderately sized event in LA—from a Kings game to a Miley Cyrus concert—means hell for traffic and parking in the area. That’s why we want to be sure to clear up any misconceptions that may start to form around traffic surrounding the LA World’s Fair™. Indeed, there will be many tourists and visitors from around the world to witness global history in the making. But the theme of the fair itself revolves around transit. This world’s fair was born of a belief that only with new zoning and new methods of urban design and civic planning can we cure the ills of our horrible traffic problem in LA. We expect the fair to encourage new legislation that will actually change how people get around the city and how construction and development will be centered around transit in a way that will solve the nation’s worst traffic problem.

How many people will come to the Los Angeles World’s Fair™?

We expect 100 million people, from every state in the Union, from 100 countries, and from every city in California.

When was the last world’s fair in the United States?

Many people worldwide can recall the 1982 World’s Fair held in Knoxville, Tennessee, which was themed “Energy Turns the World” and opened with a visit from then ­President Ronald Reagan. Because it was eclipsed by the 1984 Olympics in LA, few might be able to name the most recent world’s fair in the US, the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition held in New Orleans.

What is a California Flexible Purpose Corporation? Why did the Los Angeles World’s Fair™ choose this form of corporation?

A World’s Fair involves an enormous amount of people, organization, and funding. In the US, our fairs and expos are not directly funded by the US government, so the most efficient way to identify, organize, and fund the necessary resources is by creating a corporation and generating funds by selling shares. (For example, in 1935, in during the Great Depression, a group of New York City retired policemen decided to create an international exposition to lift the city and the country out of depression. Not long after, these men formed the New York World’s Fair Corporation, whose office was in the Empire State Building, which had just been completed.)

Until recently, entrepreneurs who wanted to do social or environmental good had to choose between setting up a for­ profit corporation that could not have social good as their primary purpose or a nonprofit that was able to do social good but not make a profit. All that changed in 2012, when California became the first state to offer social entrepreneurship through organizations that want to make money and do good, an alternate corporate structure called a California Flexible Purpose Corporation. With its mandate of social good for Los Angeles and its need to attract large amounts of funding from multiple sources, the flexible purpose corporation was a perfect fit for the LA World’s Fair™.

How can I get involved?

Tell us what you’re interested in doing, join a Flex Team, or purchase a Titanium or an 88’s Membership.

What is a Flex Team?

Birthed from the idea of a flexible purpose corporation, a Flex Team is a flexible, nimble, and fluid committee around which all LA World’s Fair™ planning operates. We share our skills, backgrounds, and visions in collaborative teams that meet to address certain tasks but can be reorganized when a specific need arises (e.g., Marketing/Communications gave birth to Crowdfunding). Our current Flex Teams include: Crowdfunding, Marketing/Communications (MarCom), Non­Profit/Education/Government (NPEG), Design/Mapping/Planning/Construction (DMPC), International Trade/Commerce/Culture (ITCC), and Finance.

What do I get with a Titanium Membership?

Titanium members will rub elbows with world leaders at gala­style parties, attend pop­up performances by iconic celebrities, and dine on opening nights of world class restaurants. There will also be additional discounts and benefits like any other exclusive club or online Chatterbate Shows. Act fast! This is a limited­time offer and only the first 2022 applicants will be accepted to receive this VIP status.

What do I get with an 88’s Membership?

Named after our goal to connect the 88 incorporated cities in Greater Los Angeles, the 88’s Membership is intended to be affordable to every Angeleno. The 88’s Membership comes with many opportunities for discounts and exclusive access to events, including many of the perks of the Titanium Membership as well as an exclusive 88’s Membership T-shirt.

What are the lasting effects of the Fair on Los Angeles?

The Fair will be an information database for planned legislative initiatives to combat greenhouse gas emissions and urban sprawl, lead to more efficient use of our precious water and fuel reserves, and generally make us more mindful citizens. In addition, many of the structures and infrastructure built for the Fair will be converted to public use after the event—a physical legacy to serve our communities for future generations.